Chapter 39 - When the Road Went Quiet
Zio released the cart’s handle.
His body moved before his thoughts did.
He turned and ran.
The cart was left in the middle of the road, its wheels still and unmoving.
Zio’s steps were light and fast against the packed earth. The trees on either side blurred into passing shadows.
The first few dozen meters were silent.
Then the sound came.
A scream.
Distant. Broken. As if snapped in half.
A human voice—too sharp to mistake.
Other sounds followed. Wood cracking. A heavy impact. Then a low roar that made the air feel tight and compressed.
Zio did not slow down.
He pushed himself faster.
The road dipped slightly, and gaps between the trees began to open.
The fence of the medical post came into view.
Before he truly reached it, the smell of warm iron hit his nose.
Zio stopped at the fence.
There were no screams anymore.
What remained was the sound of fabric tearing, fibers being pulled apart—like thick cloth ripped slowly. Then another sound followed. The crunch of something hard, like dry wood crushed into wet mud.
A horse was still tied near a post. Its body did not move. Its head hung at the wrong angle, the tether pulled tight, bearing a weight that no longer breathed.
Part of the fence had collapsed. Several windows were shattered.
Zio did not move.
Ahead of him, several large reptilian bodies stood in place. Thick scales, green with a faint purple sheen, layered along their backs. Their long tails rested low against the dirt, heavy and still.
All of them had their backs turned to him, as if their business here was already finished.
A light wind drifted past, carrying the scent of iron into his nose.
One creature turned to face him. Its jaw parted slightly, curved fangs slick with dark fluid catching the light.
Its mouth was still slightly open when something pale and stiff slid into it. Its head jerked forward, swallowing forcefully. Then its eyes locked onto Zio.
Zio’s eyes widened. His knees did not tremble. His breathing remained steady.
For a brief instant, Zyon’s letter surfaced in his mind.
Zio’s hand moved slowly toward his left hip.
Empty.
He had left it inside the wardrobe in his room.
The creature moved first.
Its body leapt high, lunging straight at Zio.
Zio dodged left and jumped onto a tree trunk. His gaze swept quickly over the ground below.
A sword lay on the dirt, right beneath the feet of one of the creatures.
No time.
The creature attacked again.
Wind spiraled beneath Zio’s feet. Solid ice formed in his right hand. His left fist smashed into the creature’s head as an ice spear pierced its eye the moment the distance closed.
The creature fell, groaning.
The others turned. Their bodies shifted direction. Two more creatures emerged from inside the medical post.
All of them moved at once, charging toward Zio.
Zio leapt from one tree trunk to another, evading their strikes.
At last, he landed right beside the sword on the ground.
His hand closed around the hilt before another creature could reach him.
Zio ran north. He glanced back now and then. They were still pursuing.
He counted quickly.
Two.
Four.
Eight.
Zio changed direction.
This time, he attacked.
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Compressed wind wrapped around the blade in his hand. Zio jumped. One clean slash landed just beneath the head of a creature. The head separated and dropped to the ground.
Zio slammed his hand into the earth. Ice crystals spread rapidly beneath the creatures’ feet.
Half of their bodies were trapped in ice. Unable to move.
A roar echoed. Cracks crawled across the frozen surface.
Zio moved again.
Slash after slash followed. Arms severed. Heads rolled. Bodies collapsed one by one.
The final strike landed directly on top of one creature’s head, splitting it apart.
A sharp cracking sound rang out.
Zio glanced at the sword in his hand.
The blade had shattered. It could no longer withstand the compressed wind. Shards of steel scattered across the ground, leaving only a small fragment in the hilt.
Zio stood, settling into a stance. His body was still steady, though his breathing had changed slightly.
One creature remained, standing in front of him. Still. Motionless.
The creature let out a low groan.
Then it turned.
It fled west, fast, without looking back.
Zio stood still for a moment. Before the sound of its footsteps fully disappeared, his thoughts returned to the ruined medical post.
Zio moved.
This time, he was the one giving chase.
Inside the medical post’s storage room, a medical staff member hid behind a stack of crates in the corner.
She was crouched low. Eyes shut tight. Both hands pressed over her ears.
Her body shook violently. Her breathing was erratic. Tears mixed with cold sweat and dripped onto the floor.
…
Several minutes passed.
Slowly, she loosened her fingers from her ears, just enough to make sure the sounds she had heard were truly gone.
Silence.
No screams.
No wailing.
She tried to stand, but her legs failed to support her weight.
She crawled slowly toward the door.
The door was opened a crack. She peeked through the gap before stepping out.
She stood, knees still trembling.
Moving carefully, both hands traced the wall for support.
By reflex, she covered her nose and mouth as the metallic scent grew stronger.
Her steps quickened as she entered the corridor.
Dark red liquid spread across the floor.
She climbed the stairs. One foot slipped before she reached the upper level.
She pushed herself up again, then half-ran toward the table.
Her hand grabbed the magic flare.
She stepped out onto the upper balcony.
The flare was ignited.
Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves and branches, falling across Zio’s face as he lay on the grass.
Zio let out a long breath. Then he stood.
He held his breath for a moment.
The faint sound of flowing water reached his ears.
He walked northeast.
A small stream slowly emerged from between the trees.
Zio stopped by the riverbank. He removed his clothes, stained with sticky, foul-smelling fluid.
He submerged the fabric several times, then wrung it out and laid it over a rock to dry.
He stepped into the middle of the stream, washing his body and rinsing himself for several minutes.
The sound of dry leaves being stepped on came from elsewhere. Zio turned his head.
A deer stood on the opposite side of the river, drinking.
Zio moved back to the river’s edge and put his clothes back on.
He tilted his head up slightly, looking toward the sun, gauging his position.
Then Zio moved southeast.
A guard sat leaning against a small watchtower at the western gate of the city. His gaze swept over the road in and out, unfocused, routine.
Light suddenly flared in the distance.
A signal flare.
It rose from the west of the city, cutting through the dimming evening sky.
The guard straightened. He stared for one second longer, making sure.
His hand moved at once.
A small bell rang out sharply, its sound echoing off the gate walls.
Other guards broke into a run. Horses were pulled free from their ties, saddles thrown on with rough, practiced motions.
One guard mounted immediately and spurred his horse into the city, never looking back.
The main streets of Ravenhold were still busy, even as the afternoon drew to a close. Merchants began shutting their stalls. A few people walked casually, unaware.
Inside the Guild, several people sat talking in a back room. The atmosphere was ordinary.
Then came the sound of hooves from behind the closed doors.
Fast. Uneven.
The door burst open.
A gate guard rushed in, breath heavy.
“Emergency flare,” he announced loudly.
“Western medical post.”
Conversation died instantly.
Chairs scraped back. Glasses were set down without care. Several faces tightened without needing further explanation.
“Prepare the horses.”
“Medical litters.”
“Call those ready for combat.”
The Guild shifted in seconds.
Horses were led out. Medical carts were pulled forward. Straps tightened. Supplies were thrown in without order.
No one asked what had happened.
They already knew what it meant.
Not long after, the group moved out, leaving the Guild courtyard and merging into a city flow that had yet to realize something had broken in the west.
The late afternoon wind moved low over the dirt road, lifting fine dust before letting it settle again.
The sunlight had already tilted westward, filtered through the tree branches lining the path.
Zio reached his cart.
It still stood in the middle of the road, slightly askew. He gripped the handle, straightened the wheels, then pulled it back onto even ground.
Wood creaked softly.
He drew a breath, then started walking again. His steps were steady. The weight of the cart felt the same as before.
Dry leaves shifted quietly along the roadside. There were no other sounds.
The sun sank lower. The shadows of Zio and the cart stretched long across the ground.
Zio did not look back.
The wheels kept turning.
